Chaos settling down

[euphrasyne]

Things have been a bit topsy-turvy for a bit, but it is starting to settle down.

 

DH has been working a lot and is going out of the country for a month right after thanksgiving. He is having some health issues and we are waiting on VA stuff.

 

MIL has a lot of health issues and personal issues. I don't see her circumstances changing for the better, and she will most likely be living with us for the rest of her life. Originally she was going to be here for a few years to get back on her feet.

 

DD1 is still waiting on the insurance to approve her hearing aid......since may. She does have an FM system for school and we have a loner aid, but I wish BCBS would quit dragging their feet. She has bilateral congenital loss severe R and moderate L. New meds have drastically improved her twitch, and we are back in special ed.

 

DD2 made GATES which is the gifted class so she has extra work. I had a meeting with her teacher yesterday, and was told that she is a wonderful citizen, an all around good person with excellent manners, and a blessing to have in the classroom. She is very quiet and patient and understands more than she lets on.

 

DSD (dear step daughter) so much going on there it keeps us up at night.

 

I had gastric bypass surgery a month ago. My diabetes is gone, I am off all medications, and I'm down over 30 pounds. But everything makes me sick and I can pretty much only eat scrambled eggs and protein shakes. I still have to cook regular meals for everyone else. My computer died and DH accidentally wiped my back up external trying to fix it. I lost everything. My new computer is awesome, but it was a huge lesson in not relying on digital.

 

DH and I have a plan and a timeline for moving further out into the country and plans are slowly falling into place for everything else. We cleaned out the tiny upstairs junk room (it is the size of a large walk in closet) and turned it into the 'prep' room. I moved all my extra supplies up there for easier inventory and climate controlled storage. It freed up a lot of room in the garage and sunroom as well as made the kitchen pantry look more organized. I'm still under a lifting restriction from the surgery, so I have to get DH or one of the kids to bring some things down, but overall it has really made things much easier to organize. It is like having my own little general store and I'm thinking about decorating it that way when I have the time.

 

Our goal for the next year is to exercise more, put in a garden, visit local u-pic farms, and do some serious home canning.

 

--euphrasyne

[Mt_Rider]

Wow.....no diabetes/meds.... That's a HUGE THING! Wonderful prep too. Having health issues in a post-hooey-hits-fan world is too scary. Glad to hear that worked for you. It didn't for my SIL.

Hope other health concerns can be handled. Waiting for hearing aid that long is ridiculous and cruel! Have you tried calling the state health commissioner? Not sure if that data is Pre-Obamacare tho.

 

MtRider

Edited November 10, 2016 by Mt_Rider

[Ambergris]

http://www.froedtert.com/bariatric-surgery/recipes/pumpkin-ricotta-protein-pie

[euphrasyne]

That pumpkin protein pie sounds good. I'll have to try it.

 

 

My sugars have been 80-120 since the surgery. It definately worked. No oral meds and no insulin. Health prep is always on our minds and we are so glad to be slowly moving into a better situation.

[Jeepers]

I love the idea of a general store in your home. I always wanted one of those too. I have loads of pictures of really great pantries that I'll never have.

 

I like the doors on these:

[Mt_Rider]

ooooh....LIKE that first one. Quadruple it and now we're talkin'.....

 

MtRider Would solve so many issues!

[Jeepers]

I really like the barn doors too. I see a lot of them in houses now.

https://www.google.com/search?q=barn+doors&biw=1080&bih=644&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjp1d75_p_QAhWDQCYKHY1pDAIQ_AUIBygC&dpr=0.95

[sassenach]

Hon, the diabetes is there, you just dont eat enough carbs to raise your blood sugar up very high since you had the surgery and it tightens the amount of capacity for food. All you are doing is controlling the blood sugar level, the diabetes disease remains, however.

 

I have type 2, my mother had type 1 all her adult life. I also am diet controlled. I went paleo with dairy diet. It works fine. for me.

[euphrasyne]

I grew up with my grandparents and my grandfather was type 1; I'm type 2. There has never been a time in my life I haven't had to deal with someone one having it. I've prevliously done close to zero carb diets and my A1C was still high enough to be classified as diabetic. I've tried almost every diet under the sun. Nothing worked and I gave each plenty of time. Currently, my A1C and the 'glucose' test are not high enough to classify me as diabetic. ​The type of surgery I had changes the way my chemistry reacts and I'm very happy with it. I will continue to monitor everything and be careful, but this isn't something I could do without the surgery and I'm very glad that I did it. All of my physicians are taking the diabetic diagnosis off my current list. I'm glad that you found a diet that worked for you XD.

Edited November 11, 2016 by euphrasyne

[Jeepers]

I know a woman who did the same thing. She is an RN and her doctor told her if she gained so many more pounds (I don't remember the number) that they would do the bypass surgery because of her diabetes. In my eyes she was a big woman all around but she didn't look obese to me. Her diabetes was out of control though and nothing was working for her. Long story short, she put on the few extra pounds, had the surgery and is no longer considered a diabetic. She doesn't have to take any meds now and just as important, she is no longer worried about losing her eyesight and kidney failure. She really has a new lease on life. Of course the rest of her life is up to her now. She has to maintain.

[sassenach]

Euph, good luck and take good care of yourself, everyone does this weight loss differently when they do it, I was fortunate my method worked for me. Affording it was the most difficult part and not being able to at least grow my own veggies.

I just moved to the midwest and have lots of yard area to grow veggies and my own heirloom garlic and such things. I am grateful for that though the house needed work!

I have lived in lousy apartments with bad window light for too long so I am enjoying seeking out current garden information again and planning things out.

[euphrasyne]

We are getting ready for Hurricane Florence.  School is out due to mandatory evac and the kids are home all week.  Between them and my retired MIL who lives with us, it is very loud.  I've been trying to eat down my freezer to nothing to fully rotate it before restocking it.  As long as Florence is a temporary problem and not TEOTWAWKI, it is actually coming at a good time to help us eat down the freezer.  We are doing the same with the pantry, but I already rotated and restocked rice, veg, and protein.  We are just eating down the extras like sweets, nuts, and random tins of tea.  If we lose power for more than a day, any overflow freezer meat that will not fit in the RV freezer will get canned.  This evening I'm doing full meat inventory and working up an emergency canning menu plan.    

 

Its been two years since my gastric bypass.  The type I had rerouted my GI and vastly changed the way I produce enzymes and other chemicals; it was not 'restrictive only.'  I actually eat more carbs now than I did in the few years before the surgery and my diabetes is still gone.  I have to have regular lab work done and it is all normal for that.  This surgery worked for me and my body is processing things like it should.  I would highly recommend it to anyone who has diabetes due to metabolic reasons.    On a sadder note, I'm recovering from an ectopic pregnancy.  They gave me methotrexate (a chemo drug) and managed to save my tube, but the medicine makes me feel like crap. Earlier this year, I had to have a D&C at week 12 due to a miscarriage with complications.    That makes five miscarriages and 2 live births for me.  I love my daughters and my step daughter, but it is hard to stop crying for the ones I didn't get a chance to hold.  

 

I worry about the safety of all my children--especially the one rolling her eyes at me right now.  DD15 and DSD21 are giving me gray hair and turning me into my mother.  DD10 continues to be sweet and I pray that lasts through the teenage years.  My MIL has more issues than every other family member combined.  I have no idea how to deal with the situation and it continues to escalate.  She lives with us since she cannot support herself and we are locked into a passive aggressive 'I have to live with you' battle.  Every day is filled with Soap Opera worthy squabbles and drama.  I live in hell and I just want peace.  

 

We have decided to stay here in this house in suburbia for another 5 years.  Property values around here are going up and, after assessing market trends, I think that we will still be in a good position to sell at that point.  DD15 will be out of school and something should come to a head with the MIL one way or another by then.  We keep washing back and forth on moving out to the country.  Goats & Gardens vs low maintenance Suburbs. I was the biggest proponent of country living, but lately I just feel old and tired.   

[Mt_Rider]

Wow....you've had a lot going on.  So sorry about the little ones you didn't get to hold.    It's got to be a unique type of mourning.  My very good friend's story mirrors yours. 

DH and I will be heading out to my parents' place soon today, unexpectedly.  They don't live WITH us but the roles have reversed in some ways.  We provide physical help to them often now.  In fact I'm running to go to see them today...  It's a hard thing to watch them 'reduce'.  Especially when they aren't doing it with grace. 

 

Gotta go...

MtRider   

Edited September 11, 2018 by Mt_Rider

[euphrasyne]

We are back on the roller coaster.  I'm pregnant again!  Hopefully this one is viable.  I'm a basket case and the smell of everything makes me puke.  DD15 is looking at me sideways and asking why smells are bothering me so much right now.  I have an appointment with my OB tomorrow to see where we are at with this pregnancy.   

 

I had a major falling out with the MIL after she got up from the dinner table, threw her dinner in the trash and made herself a sandwich the night I made chicken cordon bleu, pistachio mushroom rice, and squash.  She is currently staying with her brother to help him out after he was released from the hospital after a major stroke and I'm seriously hoping it ends up being a permanent thing.    Either way, I'm NEVER cooking anything for her ever again and I'm standing firm on that.  

[Jeepers]

Sending healthy prayers your way and gentle hugs too.        

 

If I typed what I thought about your MIL I'd probably have to ban myself.  The old bat. 

[The WE2's]

We have a friend that has managed his diabetes for years...with diet.  He also has a pacemaker so has to be careful of the types of greens he eats.  The real issue he's faced is losing muscle mass. He has gotten to where he has almost no strength...which is sad.  But, he's in his late 70's so I guess he's doing pretty good considering.  He's just determined not to be a "needle junkie" to insulin.

[euphrasyne]

Im really lucky.   My A1C is awesome and my blood sugar has not been above normal in almost 3 years now since the surgery.  I have several health issues, but none of them are related to diabetes and haven't  been for several years.     

[Mt_Rider]

for your health regarding former diabetes

 

  for peace in your home....and for the little one coming along. 

 

MtRider

[out_of_the_ordinary]

[Midnightmom]

On 2/3/2019 at 7:51 PM, The WE2's said:

He also has a pacemaker so has to be careful of the types of greens he eats. 

 

I am also a diabetic (Type II) and have a pacemaker (since March 2018). My cardiologist has never mentioned anything about being careful with "greens," or any other food either. Can you explain more???

[euphrasyne]

I imagine he is on blood thinners.  You are not supposed to eat leafy greens (broccoli, kale, spinach) while on blood thinners because they are high in vitamin K and that interferes (a lot) with how blood thinners like Warfarin or Coumadin work.    

 

[euphrasyne]

My doctor saw a heartbeat!  This pregnancy is viable.  We aren't out of the woods yet, but my chances just went up astronomically.  WHOOT!   Now I can look at prepping and stocking up for a new baby.  

[Ambergris]

Congratulations!

[The WE2's]

6 hours ago, Midnightmom said:

Can you explain more???

 

The told him that dark greens (some) contain high levels of Vitamin K, which is a blood thinner.  So no kale, spinach, broccoli,. bell peppers, no celery, no lettuce etc.  That's all I know.  When we have our get togethers, he always has to have a "special" plate...because he manages with diet as well as the pacemaker issue.

Edited February 8, 2019 by The WE2's

[Mt_Rider]

8 hours ago, euphrasyne said:

My doctor saw a heartbeat!  This pregnancy is viable.  We aren't out of the woods yet, but my chances just went up astronomically.  WHOOT!   Now I can look at prepping and stocking up for a new baby.  

 

       

 

MtRider